The main objective of this proposal is to elucidate the biophysical processes that are involed in collagen fibrillogenesis, mineralization and higher orders of tissue assembly of bone, dentine and cartilage. Specifically, the intramolecular and intermolecular side chain interactions in collagen, the interaction of collagen with mineral ions, and the interactions between collagen, phosphoprotein, and mineral ions in dentine will be studied by physical chemical and chemical modification methods.